Harrison Bader arrives, but sits as Phillies delay major outfield decisions

New York Times

6 days ago

PHILADELPHIA — Rescued from the raging fire sale in Minnesota, Harrison Bader stepped into a pennant race Friday afternoon with a locker in the middle of the Phillies clubhouse and a nice, new number — 2 — on his back. He was the lone offensive reinforcement acquired by the Phillies at a frenzied trade deadline.
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He was not in the lineup. Asked if he knew what his role would be with the Phillies, Bader answered wryly, 'Uhh, probably going to play some outfield.' Everyone laughed.
But there are legitimate questions about how the Phillies will construct their outfield in the immediate and later on. The plan for now, as manager Rob Thomson described it, calls for two platoons in center field and left field. The Phillies will face alternating righty and lefty starters for the next six games. Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler will play against the righties. Bader and probably Weston Wilson will play against the lefties.
'For six days,' Thomson said. 'And then once we get to that point, we'll figure it out.'
It's a curious decision, given that Bader has enjoyed a better season than any of the Phillies' current outfielders. The Phillies targeted him at the deadline because he's an exceptional defender and has made adjustments to lean into his pull-side power. That has resulted in success against both lefties and righties this season.
The Phillies optioned Johan Rojas to Triple A. He'll play regularly there; most of his time will be spent in the corner outfield spots because the organization believes Justin Crawford needs as much development time as possible in center field. Crawford, according to team sources, remains in play for a promotion.
But the entire situation is muddled. There was a robust debate Thursday night and Friday morning in the front office and the manager's office about how the outfield should look moving forward. It makes sense for Bader to play, especially given that he is their best outfield defender. He has hit. The Phillies do not currently have a regular outfielder who has both hit and fielded well for a consistent period in 2025.
One of Dave Dombrowski's tenets is not to influence lineup decisions. The veteran executive has said it's the manager's job. For now, the front office will defer to Thomson.
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'I mean, he's going to play a lot,' Dombrowski said. 'The lineup will be Topper's decision, of course. We're happy to get him.'
Thomson, essentially, is delaying major decisions with his plan. It's a decision that runs counter to what the Phillies did last summer upon acquiring Austin Hays. He profiled as a platoon player, but Thomson said Hays deserved a chance to be an everyday outfielder when he arrived.
Bader's .432 slugging percentage against righties would be tied for fourth on the current Phillies. It's higher than any of their current outfielders. Isn't there an inclination not to platoon Bader?
'Yes, there is,' Thomson said. 'But the way it is for the next six days, it works out pretty well for everybody. But I can see him playing against right-handed pitching as well.'
Kepler has hit .205/.306/.366 against righties this season. He is 5-for-33 with one extra-base hit since the All-Star break. 'Well, I mean, he's been swinging the bat a lot better,' Thomson said. 'He doesn't have many numbers because he's hitting the ball right at people.' Kepler's 89.3 mph average exit velocity in July is his lowest in any month this season, although he's averaged 96 mph on his batted balls this week.
Maybe that has swayed the manager.
Team sources described a fluid situation. In six days, the team may settle on a regular outfield that has Marsh in left and Bader in center. But there's another scenario where the Phillies summon Crawford, stick him in left field, and open a conversation about Nick Castellanos' playing time in right.
Entering Friday, Castellanos had a 102-point difference in OPS between lefties (.867) and righties (.765). But Castellanos believes he is an everyday player and has pushed back at being removed even for defensive purposes. He has batted in the middle of the lineup for most of the season and produced, so a change could feel extreme. It's at least a consideration.
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For now, the Phillies have improved the outfield options, which puts more emphasis on production. If Kepler cannot see results from the hard-hit balls, he'd lose playing time to Bader. If Marsh or Castellanos struggles, the Phillies could be compelled to bring Crawford.
'We think he's ready to play at the big-league level,' Dombrowski said. 'We could bring him up. If we do bring him, he needs to play a lot.'
In Bader, the Phillies acquired one of the better outfielders who was dealt at the deadline. It was not a robust group. Ramón Laureano was a consideration. The others traded were Miguel Andujar, Alex Call, Randal Grichuk, Cedric Mullins, James Outman, Jesús Sánchez, Austin Slater and Mike Yastrezemski.
The Phillies were interested in Cleveland's Steven Kwan, but no one met the Guardians' high asking price. Had the Phillies not landed closer Jhoan Duran, their primary target, they could have pivoted to a more aggressive offer for Kwan.
Instead, they went for a marginal upgrade in Bader. And he is an upgrade, so long as he plays.
'Topper constructs the lineup the way he does,' Bader said. 'But my intention is to go out there and play my brand of baseball. Just be myself. It's really the only thing I know how to do, both on and off the field. I'm just going to help this team win. I've been injected into a playoff race. All the notions of ego and me and my playing time, that'll go out the window. I'm here to win.'
(Photo of Bader: Matt Blewett / Imagn Images)